The present invention is directed at a rack device particularly well suited for outdoor deep frying of meat, poultry, fish or other deep fryable food products. For example, the invention is well suited for deep frying of a plurality of cuts of meat such as steaks or pork chops, deep frying smaller poultry items such as Cornish Hens, deep frying seafood such as fish filets, or deep frying vegetables or the like. The present invention is also directed at a frying apparatus which includes a deep fry container(s) and the rack device in combination as well as a method of using the rack device and the frying apparatus with the rack device.
The present invention is directed at a frying apparatus which comprises a rack device that is particularly well suited for the deep frying of more than one meat, poultry, fish item or similarly sized food item in oil or the like at the same time. Further the present invention is directed at a frying apparatus that features a rack device that provides for deep frying a variety of items while maintaining desired relative spacing both amongst the items being cooked and the container of the frying apparatus which receives the rack device (preferably a deep fry basket which is received in a deep fry pot which receives the oil or directly in the deep fry pot). One preferred embodiment of the rack device of the present invention is in the form of a two grill rack device assembly (preferably each grill being comprised of round wire grill with each having crossing food supports, such as horizontal, parallel crossing wires) and a food support rack. The food support rack is preferably releasably or fixedly attached or positioned relative to a first (preferably lower in use) grill such that a plurality of food support prongs of the food support rack extend up away from the first grill. In a preferred embodiment the food support rack is supported or attached to the lower grill (e.g., welded to the crossing supports thereof). While a preferred embodiment features a rack support with its own base section, the lower grill can also provide, in and of itself, the base for the food support rack.
The food support rack has prongs that have a vertical extension component (preferably vertical, e.g. a vertical rise extension greater than its run extension or a true vertical, transverse to the supporting grill relationship) onto which a meat, poultry, fish or other food product can be fastened or skewered onto each prong. Each prong preferably has an intermediate protrusion such as an integral curved bend that curves out away from the main axis of the prong and preferably toward the periphery of the device. This intermediate protrusion can function both as a food blockage member and food support member when desired (e.g., slipping a first steak cut past and below the protrusion by way of extra force application and letting a second steak cut rest on or, more preferably, above the limiting upper surface of the protrusion) and also serves to support the upper grill when an upper grill is used (e.g., passing the prongs through openings in the grill and threading the grill down into supporting contact with the protrusions which are preferably equally located in a common intermediate area of the prongs such as a 25% to 75% range of the total height of the prong. The lower grill and/or fluid support rack also has a lifting extension which is attached radially outward of a central axis of the food support rack and preferably radially outward of a periphery contacting each of the prongs. For example, the lifting extension is preferably positioned radially within an annular ring formed between the periphery contacting each of the prongs and the grill""s outer ring or even more radially external to the outer ring of the grill rack (e.g. the annular ring representing the 50% to 100% radius range of the grill and 100% to 135% representing the outward of the grill ring radius range) with the food support rack preferably being connected or made as one unit with the lower grill. The lifting extension is preferably external to the periphery defined by the prongs which are preferably three or more in number with four equally spaced prongs being preferred. The lifting extension is provided to provide a grasping component with which the rack device can be pulled out from a container and is of a sufficient height to clear, for example, the upper level of a body of oil in a cooking pot. Preferably the lifting extension is in the form of a vertical bar that has a loop portion at its free end (to facilitate lifting hook engagement) and a wing extension that is positioned intermediate of the lifting extension. The wing extension is preferably positioned on the lifting section at a common intermediate position as the above noted prong protrusion such that it functions as an underlying grill support member with the protrusion thereby stabilizing the upper grill when utilized with the rack or for added direct food support such as an end of steak support in association with two prongs through a steak cut. With this arrangement the lifting extension is preferably positioned within 5% outward and 25% inward of the radius of the outer grill ring so as to enable the wing extensions to be positioned for contact with either food cuts or an upper grill. The wing extension preferably comprises a bar or bars extending to opposite sides of the lifting extension so as to contact the upper grill to opposite sides of the lifting extension.
In a preferred embodiment, the upper grill additionally has a round centrally located ring which contacts the curve bend portions on the prongs of the food support rack (e.g., the inner ring has a circumference which matches that defined by the protrusions upper support surface). In a preferred embodiment the protrusions extend radially outward relative to the prongs such that the grill ring passes externally around the prongs. This arrangement places the prongs in contact with the interior of the ring so as to provide a stable arrangement with no horizontal sliding (due to prong/ring contact in a horizontal plane) and no vertical sliding due to the protrusion/ring engagement (preferably with the assistance of the wing extension underlying support). An alternate arrangement features the prongs arranged to have a greater circumference (but still a sliding arrangement) relative to the inner ring for horizontal stabilization in which case inwardly extending protrusions can be provided. Alternatively, an arrangement can be made wherein rather than an inner ring, the protrusion can contact linear section of the upper grill (e.g. the main grill bars or linear, transverse stabilizer bars.
The device is particularly suited for deep frying meat products outdoors in conjunction with an outdoor gas burner which supports a deep fry pot and depending on its size an additional deep-fry basket may be utilized as part of the frying apparatus or kit to support the rack device at a level above or on the floor of the pot. In a preferred embodiment the rack device is permanently fixed to a lower grill and the use of the upper grill is optional depending upon the intended use. For example, if there is a desire to deep fry steaks and/or chops the bottom rack can be utilized to support one or more steaks (with the steaks contacting or more preferably lifted, slightly above the lower grill""s upper surface but below the protrusions in a generally horizontal arrangement and either in a sandwich relationship with a later positioned upper grill or, more preferably, in a spaced above end below relationship relative to the lower and upper grills, respectively (for improved cooking fluid contact on all exposed surfaces of the food item). Alternatively, the food piece is placed in a one, two or more prong skewer relationship with the racks prongs with or without an above positioned grill. Additional steaks, pork chops or other food items can then be supported on the upper portion of the prongs without an added upper grill (pieces placed above and in contact with the protrusions or more preferably suspended thereabove, and either in a vertical orientation with one prong extending through one or a plurality of serially arranged food pieces or in a horizontal relationship with either one prong extending through or more preferably two prongs extending through different sections of the generally horizontally arranged pieces). More preferably when dealing with steaks and the like, a first set of food items are placed on the prongs and then the upper grill is slid in position as described above and a second set of food pieces are arranged on the prongs either vertically or horizontally as described above and preferably spaced above the upper surface of the upper grill. Thus, while the food piece can be placed in contact with the upper grill, it is more preferable, based on prong friction, to suspend the food pieces above the upper grill rack to help facilitate overall oil passage (with the upper providing a slip down grill protection feature which could still provide relatively good oil/food surface contact which would be lessened in a food to food contact situation). Also the food pieces, when in position on the upper grill, help to lock the grill in position, although additional means such as a double protrusion arrangement featuring a smaller-relatively easier slide over protrusion above a larger support protrusion space there below are also representative of the present invention. The spacing between the upper and lower grills can be chosen to suit the intended need of a customer. For example, if food pieces that are not readily suited for prong insertion, the grills can be placed at a spacing to sandwich those non-pronged pieces to maintain them in position during the turbulence of the cooking medium. Thus the rack can be used in this non-prong food fashion, or only in a prong food support fashion or a combination of the two techniques with the same or different food pieces. Various levels of multiple protrusions for a single prong can also be provided through use of compressible protrusions, although a relatively rigid single protrusion per prong is preferable.
Alternatively the rack device can embody the lower grill and rack free of the upper grill. This represents an embodiment well suited for deep frying smaller poultry such as Cornish Hens which the prongs can penetrate into to hold the pieces in position during cooking.
The preferred arrangement for the rack device, and one well suited for use in deep frying in oil, features four prongs that have a common base either defined by the grill or more preferably an interconnected base extension such as pair of joined together base extension support bars. In a preferred embodiment the rack device features two rack sections each comprised of two diametrically opposed prongs with a common diametrically extending base extension with the extension of one fixed to the other such as by welding at an overlap location preferably with a recess provided in one in the area of overlap to keep the remainder of the base extensions at a common level. Also the diameter defined by interconnecting points of the prongs at the level of the lower grill is preferably concentrically arranged with regard to a preferred circular lower grill and at an intermediate location (e.g. a radial location at 25 to 75% of the full radius of the lower grill and more preferably about 40 to 60% of that radius and even more preferably 50%). The lifting extension is preferably welded or otherwise permanently fixed to the based section at a location which is preferably relatively close to the central point of the base section (e.g., a lifting extension inward contact point within one to two inches of the base section with a lifting extension base the extends radially outward to position a vertical bar of the lifting extension at the above noted grasping hook radially external hook location.
The prongs are preferably sized so as to sufficiently penetrate a wide assortment of food piece sizes (e.g. a 1 to 5 inch height is well suited for this purpose with a 3 to 4 inch range preferred). The lifting extension with a preferred integral grasp loop included preferably extends higher than the preferably sharpened free ends of the prongs (e.g., a 5 inch height). The base extensions are preferably about 6 inches in length and criss-crossed in a transverse arrangement with equal spoke lengths. The grills are preferably formed with a larger outer radius than a circumference contacting the prongs.
In use, the pieces to be cooked are supported on one of the above noted variations of the rack device in one of the above noted variations for supporting the pieces on the rack and/or rack and grill assembly and placed in the pot either alone or in conjunction with a basket as described above. In the pot there is provided a suitable cooking medium such as oil at a level preferably sufficient to completely immerse the pieces when the rack is in position. The cooking medium is used to cook the pieces and when cooking is complete a grasping hook or the like is used to engage the lifting extension whereupon an upward lifting force is used to remove the rack device from the frying apparatus. In one embodiment, the cooking basket is provided with capture means such as a side wall hook which can be connected to the pan""s upper rim to hold the cooking basket above the oil level. This can therefore provide, for example, for the removal of the rack device directly out of the container(s) or indirectly by first removing or lifting up a basket (and preferably attaching to the side of the pot through use of a hook assembly) to be free of the cooking medium and then removing the rack device from the basket. In either situation, the peripheral arrangement of the lifting extension enables a user to incline the rack device prior to complete removal to allow for cooking medium drip off at a location where vaporized cooking medium is likely not to be the most prominent. This tilting is facilitated by using a grasping hook/loop combination relative to grasp handle and lifting extension. Thus, tilting of the rack device in combination with an earlier hooking of a basket to the top edge of the pot for drainage purposes, facilitates a rapid and extensive drain off of oil off the food. For example, the basket with rack device supported on its base is first lifted partially out of the pan and hooked into position to achieve a drainage of the oil on the rack, food products, and basket (with drain holes, for example). Thereafter, the rack can be partly withdrawn from the basket and lifted relative to the pot so as to assume a tilted position where additional oil drains off prior to moving to a food preparation surface.
A second preferred embodiment of the rack device of the present invention is one which is free of the above noted upper and lower grills. This alternate embodiment comprises the rack alone with reliance placed on the criss-crossing base extensions (or alternate base structure) for pot or basket contact and features a peripherally arranged lifting extension (e.g., a lifting extension that vertically extends upward from a point on a horizontal plane that is commensurate with a circumferential circle that connects the base of the vertical prongs or is either further radially out from that interconnecting circle). As above, this peripheral arrangement achieves the drain off advantage described above in that the pronged or otherwise held in place food pieces are inherently tilted during lift up on the lifting extension with, for example, a grasping hook.